


glory is that bright tragic thing

by shesmyplusone



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Grief/Mourning, Post-Series, Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27898720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shesmyplusone/pseuds/shesmyplusone
Summary: Josh Lyman was relieved that he would be able to have this conversation without anyone overhearing.Well, except for one person.---Josh arranges an introduction.
Relationships: Josh Lyman & Leo McGarry, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	glory is that bright tragic thing

**Author's Note:**

> I promise one day I'll post a Josh/Donna piece with Donna actually in it! I finished the show and this piece got stuck in my mind, and I wanted to share it. Josh and Leo had one of my favorite dynamics on the show, and watching Election Day...Killed me. Between the two episodes, I don't think I've ever had so many crashes and highs between Leo and the Josh/Donna scenes. This is a short reflection piece that takes place about three years post canon (Summer of 2009), at some point right before the library scene from 7x1.
> 
> _  
> The title is from the Emily Dickinson poem of the same name. Enjoy xx

“So, where do I start?”

Despite the hour, Arlington Cemetery was nearly empty. The early morning sunshine covered the grass around him. As they’d driven in, he’d seen a few tourists and joggers, trying to enjoy the weather before the humidity took over as the hours passed.

There was a slight breeze, which was a happy change from the normal sticky feeling that came with being outside near D.C. in the summer. He looked around, seeing the thick trees, blocking the view of the intersections of highways, metro lines, and the Potomac to the north. There wasn’t even a hint of any other people but his security detail, standing near the car, trying to give him some privacy. 

Josh Lyman was relieved that he would be able to have this conversation without anyone overhearing. 

Well, except for one person. 

He looked down at the gravestone before him. It matched the hundreds around it, small and pale marble. 

_Leo Thomas McGarry_

Josh took a deep breath, and the words began to fall out of him. “I know, I know, it’s been too long. I’d use the excuse that I’ve been busy, but you always found time for me when you did this job...well, you always found time to talk to me when I _needed_ you.”

Memories flashed through his mind- meeting Leo when he was still a child, memories of playing with Mallory and Joanie,the Bartlet campaign trail, all their years at the White House, the _other_ Bartlet campaign trail, and the final campaign ... He’d been better about not thinking about Leo every single time he walked into the office that was now _his_. Those first few weeks had been hard, even with CJ’s brief interlude before Josh had left the White House, but normally the work kept him so busy he didn’t have a lot of time to reflect. But standing here, at Leo’s grave, he let himself remember it all. 

He remembered Leo’s rare smiles, the way he’d look at you blankly when you’d made a mistake- and, _lord, he’d made so many_ \- or the way he’d peer over his glasses when he was interrupted. _Oh, he missed him...._

Josh swallowed hard, feeling the tears welling in his eyes. Sounding choked up, he did what he did best- he kept talking. “So, ignore my excuses about bringing the troops home from Kazakhstan, planning for the next round of peace talks with the Chinese and the Russians, or, the tiny little detail of the _midterms_.” He laughed, suddenly, a wet sound. “Remember when all I had to worry about was the domestic side of all this? When I’d come to bang at your door about some asinine tax plan from the Republicans, not knowing what aggravating international crisis was going on down in the Sit room? Those days are long, long gone.” 

He stopped for a moment, pausing to take a breath. He was happy for a moment Leo couldn’t respond, couldn’t tell him to calm down. He had enough of that from every other person in his life. And the fact was, at this point in his life, he was surprised to find he was slowly starting to listen. 

“But the real excuses are better, I think. I think you’d be more proud of the other things.” He smiled, trying to find the right words.

“I think last time I came, Donna and I’d just gotten back from our honeymoon. It’s almost been a year- and it’s definitely been a wild one. Will Bailey got into Congress- Toby’s besides himself that anyone could consider him their representative. We see each other all the time, you know.” he added. “If you’d told me Toby’d be the closest friend I’d have from outside of work after the Bartlet administration had ended- I would have laughed.” His lips twitched. “CJ’s across the country, but between me and Donna, we talk to her every week. Sam’s good, too. He keeps claiming he’s gone after the re-election campaign, but I think he’s just trying to get me to go on another vacation. He got his wish, but not the way he expected,” he laughed softly. 

“Donna finished her undergraduate degree- Political Science. She got a lot of credit for the work she put in, you know, winning three national campaigns. I’m so proud of her,” he said, softly. “Not a minute too late,” he added. His chest got tight, and he knew it was time for the main event. 

“I wasn’t here to play catch up with everyone’s lives, but this- this is hard.” He paused for a moment. “I’ve been planning this for over a week, but I don’t want to say the wrong thing- if you’d approve. But, Mallory said it was fine, that you’d love it, and so did the Bartlets, so-”

He shifted his arms, and tilted his daughter towards the grave in front of him. “Leo, I want you to meet my daughter. Leah. Leah Joan Lyman-Moss.” 

Leah, thankfully, stayed just as asleep as she’d been a moment before. Josh looked down at her, her little dark curls slipping out of her little hat. Ever since he’d shown her off to Toby, and he’d gotten choked up about her little hat, it was all Josh could think about, too. “I know you never even got to see me and Donna together, never knew we finally got it together, just as you were…” he trailed off. 

“But you knew,” he whispered, eyes falling shut. “You knew, back when you sent Donna off with Jack Reese, back after Gaza….the way you looked at me, you knew.” He clung to those memories, knowing that Leo’d be proud of him for finally getting it together, for finding a life outside the job. Something even _he’d_ failed to do. 

“I’ve loved her for so long, Leo,” he admitted. “Longer than I knew, even. And she’s so wonderful- she was the one who suggested naming her Leah.” 

He swallowed. “I wanted to wait, first, to name her something else, but Donna said we should keep it in mind, just in case, even if she was a girl.” 

“When I saw her, I knew.” 

He opened his eyes, and was surprised to see Leah peering back up at him. Her eyes matched his as well, but Josh hoped they’d lighten up, that they’d match Donna’s. 

“I don’t know if Toby told you why he named Molly- it’s Jewish tradition to name a baby after someone who’s died. You want to name your kid after someone you hope they’ll be like. It’s a way to keep their soul alive after they die.” 

He felt his throat getting thick. “You know I’m not that religious- but this...this I wanna believe. I hope she’s like you. I hope she’s tough and brave and always there for people when they need her. If she’s like you at all, I count it as a homerun.” 

“I hope you’d like it, Boss.”


End file.
